


Love, Anyway

by Casandravus



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Eating Disorder Recovery, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Suicidal Thoughts, Trauma Recovery, no betas we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:21:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29765793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Casandravus/pseuds/Casandravus
Summary: All that remained when the light of the Sheikah Slate disappeared was a letter, face down on a barren table in an empty house.*“Of course I don’t mind,” Revali said, a little louder now. “I mean, I… Came here to help you. To find you,” he swallowed audibly. “Wherever you go, I will follow for as long as you’ll have me.”*Or: Holding space when trauma leads part of your heart away from you, and finding it again.
Relationships: Amali/Kass, Link/Revali, Mipha/zelda, Saki/Teba
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	1. Care for You

**Author's Note:**

> MIND THE TAGS. This work contains a Very Heavy dive into suicidal ideation, depression, and the physical affects of an eating disorder. PLEASE USE CAUTION if those things trigger you.
> 
> The first two chapters of this fic originally appeared in my other Revalink work I'll Get By. Those chapters being separated caused some accessibility issues, thus prompting me to make the decision to make the series its own work.

Some time had passed since the Calamity's defeat; Zelda and her Champions were traveling around Hyrule, hoping to gather support for reconstruction of Hyrule Castle Town and nearby settlements.

“Link, do you have a sword?” Zelda asked.  
  
He nodded, pulling out the Master Sword, which had lost its luster.  
  
“Kneel.”  
  
The other Champions stopped what they were doing and watched with wide eyes. Zelda adjusted the sword in her hands to feel the weight of it, then put the flat of the blade on each of Link’s shoulders.  
  
“Sir Link,” she said, voice shaking, “I hereby allow you to retain the title of knighthood, but excuse you from the responsibilities thereof. Now that the Calamity - ” she took a breath to steady herself, “Now that the Calamity is defeated… I free you from the bond that had previously forced us together. You may live the life you choose.”  
  
Link’s head shot up and he gaped at her. He’d heard Kass’s songs, he’d been told the history. _“It can’t be that simple,”_ he signed. _“Your father said - "_

“He’s dead. What he told you doesn’t matter. If what we experienced in that last battle is any indication, the bond _needs_ to be broken. I’m choosing to break it. I want us to _live_. You are aware of the end result of keeping the bond...?”  
  
Of course he’d known. He’d felt life drain out of him with every step he’d taken toward the castle. He hadn’t minded, per se; he’d accepted that the bond between them would probably lead to his death as soon as he recovered the first memory from the Sheikah Slate.  
  
“What was it doing?” Urbosa asked. “The bond between you, I mean.”  
  
Zelda and Link looked at each other apprehensively.  
  
 _“It was killing me,”_ he signed. _“I fully expected to die when I shot that final arrow.”_

Mipha’s hands flew to her mouth and Daruk gaped. Urbosa sighed and Revali spluttered. “What - how - why?”  
  
Link shrugged. _“I don’t know. But… I can feel the difference. I’m_ ** _free_** _. Thank you, Zelda.”_

“Of course.”

* * *

All that remained when the light of the Sheikah Slate disappeared was a letter, face down on a barren table in an empty house.

* * *

  
Revali looked up at the plateau looming above the rest of Hyrule. It had been a _month_ since Link took off, and this was the one place they hadn’t looked. Nobody else could reach it - even Zelda’s Sheikah Slate was limited in that regard, since hers didn’t have the same warp points on it. He climbed as high as he could before calling upon the winds to lift him the rest of the way. The sight of the Temple of Time, utterly ruined, turned his stomach. He landed in front of it, feathers rising with the foreboding atmosphere it gave off. Revali shook his head to clear it and moved on. 

Link had been in bed for days - maybe a week, he wasn’t sure. He’d been freed, but he just… Didn’t have the energy to _do anything_. Even after resting and healing for a hundred years, he was _tired_. Just the thought of getting up exhausted him, let alone doing anything else. 

He’d never admit it to anyone else, but he… Kind of wanted to… Die. There was no way he’d commit suicide. It would be dishonorable, and horrific to whoever would eventually find his body. 

(would anyone _find_ his body, given where he was?) 

But he wouldn’t mind if a monster came and mauled him, or if a member of the Yiga Clan killed him in his sleep… Although he’d probably let the Yiga Clan murder him even if he was awake. A heaving breath left his body, and he put his hands over his heart to try and ease the pressure there. 

Link almost wished that Zelda had let the bond kill him. Such a painful demise _had_ to be easier than living like this.

The white markings on his tunic started to glow. He blinked, sitting up to pull at the tunic to make sure he wasn’t imagining it. The magic that bound the Champions together pushed at him, urging him to move forward. He refused. Whoever had come up here could come to him; he’d just stay in this little cabin and die from sleep deprivation and malnutrition. He just didn’t care anymore. He’d lived a hundred and some-odd years (he wasn’t exactly sure how old he was when he’d died); he was ready to cease to exist. 

A sharp knock on the cabin door interrupted his thoughts, and Link fell out of the bed.  
  
“ _T_ _here_ you are,” Revali’s voice was grim. “I _told_ those idiots you’d probably be here, but did they listen? Of course not! Let me in!”  
  
Link groaned as he got up - and stumbled. He was extremely dizzy, and the world spun with him as he opened the door. _“Hey. I… Don’t… Feel...”_ and he fell again.  
  
“Link!” Revali just barely managed to keep them both upright. His breath caught.  
  
Where it had once fit perfectly, Link’s tunic was practically falling off him now. His cheeks were sunken in and Revali could almost feel Link’s ribcage against his torso. His hair was extremely matted, and his skin was taut. When Link turned to look at him his eyes were extremely dull. _“I don’t feel so good,”_ he mouthed the words.  
  
“Of course you don’t! Have you eaten recently?” Revali’s eyes flashed.  
  
 _“Don’t know,”_ Link mouthed again. His hands were shaking too bad to sign. _“Don’t care.”_ _  
_ _  
_Revali ran a hand down his face to cover how his eyes burned. He should’ve come here first, just as his intuition had led him to. “Well, _I_ care. Come on,” he sat Link at the little table in the corner of the room. “Put your head down if you need to. It’s obviously been a while, so your best bet is anything bland with some water. Okay?”  
  
Link didn’t respond. In fact, from the looks of it, he’d fallen asleep. Revali brushed some stray hair out of his face with a sigh. “You fool,” he muttered. “You really thought you were just going to disappear and rot, didn’t you?”  
  
He opened the windows and doors to let some fresh air in before heading to the cookpot outside the cabin.  
  


* * *

  
The smell of warm bread and sweetened butter woke Link up, mouth watering. Sitting across from him was _Revali_ , of all people, with an unreadable expression on his face. Once the _reality_ of the situation hit, Link looked down, face flaming as much as it could for how bad his health was.  
  
“It’s a Rito recipe,” he nodded at the dishes in front of them. “Chickaloo nut bread and apple butter. It’s got flavor, but still easy on the stomach; we make it for a lot of things. It’s a favorite among those who are sick and have trouble eating.”  
  
Link looked at the plate in front of him and quickly swiped his eyes with the back of his hand. _“Thank you,”_ he signed quickly before buttering a slice of bread. “Mm,” Link couldn’t stop the small sound from escaping him. It was _really_ good; the chickaloo nuts were both sweet and earthy, accenting the natural flavor of the bread. The apple butter was crisp, but not overpowering, and - tears ran down Link’s face as he took another bite of bread. He used his free hand to try and wipe them away, but to no avail. They just kept coming, as if the last month’s worth of numbness was a dam burst open by just one act of kindness. Everything _hurt_ , he was _starving_ , and… And… 

Revali wrapped a wing around his shoulders.

It took a long time after that for Link to settle and breathe again. _“Thank you,”_ he signed. _“How did you find me?”_

“Well, I’d told the others you’d probably come up here because it’s almost unreachable, and you… Didn’t seem like you wanted to be found. I should’ve ignored their idiocy and come here when I first had the mind to. I’m sorry it took me so long.”

_“ **I**_ **_’m_ ** _sorry. Everyone else is helping rebuild and I’m being… Selfish. Stupid.”_

Revali shook his head. “You’re traumatized. You’re grieving.”

Link nearly fell over. How had he _known_ that?

“We’re all messed up from everything that happened. You are shouldering the weight of our first loss _and_ the weight of what you went through to finally defeat Calamity Ganon… And the stuff with your memory. Plus whatever weird bonding magic tied you and Zelda together. That’s a lot for anyone to handle.”

_“I… Don’t want to live like this anymore. I think my heart’s been replaced with an empty hole.”_

Looking into Link’s eyes, Revali put two fingers on his neck to find his pulse. “It’s still beating. Slow but steady, although right now I’m a bit concerned about the _slow_ part. You need to eat a little more and have some water, then you’re getting a bath and your clothes are getting washed.”

Miraculously, Link was able to walk most of the way to Hopper Pond without help. Revali sat him on a tree stump and pulled various items from his pouch - a cloth, a comb, a bar of soap, a towel, a bottle of strange liquid that Link knew wasn’t an elixir. “Do you have any clean clothes that’ll fit you?” 

Link pulled out his Sheikah Slate and scrolled through it. He pulled out a red bandana, a dark blue shirt, and some climbing shoes. _“I think these might?”_

“Good. Do you think you can handle bathing on your own?”

He almost nodded but touched the back of his head with a wince.

“I was planning on helping with your hair anyway. It looks painful.”

 _“It is. My head hurts,”_ he signed before taking his tunic off and tossing it to the ground. He whistled once he was fully in the water.

Revali turned back around, handed Link the bar of soap, and gathered the dirty clothes. “The soap is Rito-made; sandalwood and pine. I wasn’t able to get anything else.”

_“It’s pretty, and it smells nice. Thank you.”_

There was something very… Routine, almost familiar, about the silence that fell over them. With anyone else, he’d probably be asked a million questions and unable to give satisfactory answers. Revali seemed to understand - even respect - the need for quiet and making space for heavy burdens. Link snuck a look at him and smiled. After a while, he got dressed and gave another sharp whistle, _“I’m done.”_

Revali looked him over, nodding. “Good. Do you feel any better, or about the same?”

_“Tiny bit better. Not much.”_

“That’s all right. Come here so I can do your hair. I’m giving you fair warning, even with this hair treatment I have, it’s probably going to hurt.”

Link sat in front of the Rito with a thumbs-up. _“I’ll be fine. Can’t be worse than the headache I have from how tangled it is.”_

Revali deftly snatched the bandana off Link’s head before grabbing the mysterious bottle. He shook it, poured some cream into his hands, and covered the blond hair with it. He started combing at the ends, much like he’d do with his own head feathers before braiding them. Eventually he made it to the mat on the back of Link’s head; adding more cream and giving a _very_ heartfelt apology, he started working his way through it with his hands. 

It took about an hour after that, filled with hisses and, “Stay still or it’ll hurt even worse!” - but finally, Link’s hair was presentable again. “We need to wash the cream out,” Revali said. He sat in the water and leaned the Hylian back so his head was in his lap. 

Link had never looked so _young_ before, Revali realized as he washed the blond hair. Something - the weight of Triforce magic or the Master Sword, maybe - had always made him look older. They’d all been _so_ young; Teba had mentioned it to him a few times, seething in quiet tones, but Link had seemed so… Beyond them... in so many ways. Looking at him now, Revali realized that Link was just a teenager too. And he’d had the weight of two worlds - the Hyrule of a century ago, and the Hyrule of now - on his shoulders. It was no wonder then, how depression had ravaged his mind and body. Revali bent down to press their foreheads together - 

Link hummed a little, eyes still closed. _“This is really nice. I’ve… I don’t think anyone’s ever taken care of me like this before.”_

Revali coughed, feathers rising a bit. “Well then, I’m glad I could be the first. No doubt you’ll now compare every bath and hair washing to this particularly beautiful day. Let me help you sit up and get you another towel for your hair.”

* * *

They ate dinner outside the cabin when they got back. Link’s Champion Blues hung on a line, and the fire offset the chill from the evening breeze. Revali kept _looking_ at him though - _really_ looking - and it worried Link.

 _“What is it?”_ he signed after the fifth or sixth time he saw those green eyes on him.

“Do you really want to stay up here?”

Link dropped his plate, eyes wide.  
  
“I… Won’t stop you if that’s your choice,” Revali was pained. “I’ll come check on you every day if necessary. I just - “

“No.”  
  
Revali’s eyes widened.  
  
 _“Scared," Link’s_ hands shook; he’d surprised himself by speaking. _“Scared of being alone. Scared of being around people. Everything.”_

Revali nodded, making space for silence. That’s one thing he was good at, Link noticed - making space. For grief. For exhaustion. For laughter. For competition. He suddenly wished he could remember more of their relationship a century ago; he was curious as to whether this ability to _read him_ was new or old. From the few memories he had, Link knew that Revali hadn’t liked him very much, but now something had changed.  
  
“...Flight Range. Link, are you listening?”  
  
 _“Sorry. Spaced out. You were saying something about the Flight Range.”_

“We could always go to the Flight Range and see how you feel after that. There’s space for an extra hammock.”  
  
 _“You want me to live with you!?”_

Revali choked, spluttering. “I - well - it wouldn’t be permanent if you didn’t want it to be. It’s just a more practical way of making sure _someone’s_ close by to make sure you don’t do anything foolish.”

Link smiled. _“Okay.”_

“You’re - you’ll come? To the Flight Range?”

_“Or wherever you want to go. It… Might be good for me to see the others again. If they aren’t mad at me.”_

Revali just laughed, relieved. “We leave tomorrow, then. The world is ours now - we can go anywhere.”

Night fell sooner than either of them had anticipated. _“There’s nowhere to hang a hammock,”_ Link bit his lip. _“I can take the floor.”_

Revali took off his armor and climbed into the bed, lying on his side with his wings open. “Don’t be stupid. Come here.” 

Blushing, Link did so, tension seeping out of him as he cuddled into Revali’s embrace. He tried to keep his eyes open, but failed. Apparently, even though he’d been so fatigued before, two full meals and a bath had worn him down. He hummed with a little smile on his face. “ ‘Night,” he mumbled into the Rito’s shoulder, too exhausted to move so he could sign. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Revali’s happiness rang clear. He gave a final squeeze, one last thought floating through his mind before sleep claimed him. _I love you._


	2. Carry That Weight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after Revali finds him on the Great Plateau, Link wonders (and begins to experience) what's on the other side of trauma and grief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a fervent believer in positive recovery, and in having support every step of the way. I may not have experienced this in my own EDNOS recovery, but I wish I had - giving comfort in writing is my way of bridging the gap between what I wished for and what I received.

Link’s eyes opened to the rising sun and a downy sea of blue and white. Somehow, lying in this bed with Revali felt like the most natural thing in the world after a month of self-inflicted isolation. Link rolled over, his back against the Rito’s chest. He didn’t feel _whole_ \- he wouldn’t for a long time yet - but he felt _safe_ , and in this halo of feathers and daylight, maybe it could be the same thing. 

At least for now.

He tried to shimmy out of Revali’s arms only for them to tighten around and pull him closer. Link flushed, but didn’t fight to get out of bed again. Besides, this was… _Nice…_ Even if it was just a one-time thing. He couldn’t imagine that _Revali_ made a habit of cuddling people - especially people he’d once hated. That thought gave Link heart-pangs; how lonely had Revali been to seek _him_ out for this type of intimacy? Or was it less about Revali’s own loneliness, and more about helping Link find some measure of comfort as he battled his own mind, filled with trauma and demons and grief? How had he known Link needed these acts of loving-kindness when he’d been hiding for so long? The former knight kicked his feet a little, suddenly needing to _move_.

Revali’s beak gently rubbed his cheek. “Hey,” he said sleepily. “How long’ve you been up?” his usually-masked singsong Rito accent punctuated the question.

“Not long,” Link mumbled, his hands in too weird a position to sign. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Revali chuckled, unfurling his wings and opening his eyes. “That’s all right. Depending on where you want to go, we have a long day ahead of us.”

 _“Zora’s Domain?”_ Link sat up so he could sign. _“I’d like to see Sidon and Mipha again. And get some of my injuries looked at. Using the Sheikah Slate would be faster.”_

“Okay,” Revali grabbed his undershirt. “We can do that, if you’re sure it’s what you want to do.” 

Link’s stomach growled, loudly. “Oops,” he whispered with a blush. 

Revali shook his head with a bemused expression as he quickly fixed his braids. “I’ll make breakfast.”

It was a simple affair, really - leftover chickaloo nut bread with some eggs for Link and some hearty salmon. _“You didn’t need to make_ ** _eggs_** _!”_

“You need protein,” Revali shrugged. “And besides that, these eggs aren’t… _Alive_ , for lack of a better word. They would’ve just gone to rot in the tree I got them from. They’ll sit easier on your stomach than the salmon, too.”

 _“Thank you, Revali,”_ Link used his name sign.

He gave a proud jerk of his head, mouth too full to talk. 

It took them another couple hours to get dressed, pack, and clean up from breakfast. There really was no rush though; with the Sheikah Slate they would be in Zora’s Domain in a matter of seconds. Truth be told, though, it was nice to just be with Revali. No princess to guard, no world to save, no other expectations other than getting well again. Except…

...What did that _look like_? In the aftermath of the Calamity’s defeat, where no duty was hefted upon his young shoulders -  
  
(they were all _so young_ , Link thought, fists clenched at his side)

\- what was on the other side of recovering from a century of grief? As far as he knew, Link was the only one of the six of them (including Zelda) who still didn’t have his memory in full. How was he supposed to navigate his relationships with the others if he didn’t even know who he was? Even worse, what if he did end up remembering, and what if he… Changed? He might have been battling himself this past month, but the thought of changing into someone he didn’t even know _scared_ him. 

Revali’s eyes were suddenly on him, shining with concern. 

Link started, but didn’t move. Being looked at _like that_ , by _those eyes_ caused his heart to squeeze. Had anyone looked at him like that before? He didn’t remember; he wasn’t sure he wanted to. It had been _less than a day_ since Revali had found him here on the Great Plateau; how was it that he already understood the slight tilt of the Rito’s head to be an unspoken question? How was he responding not with his words - not with his hands - but only his own eyes? All Link could hear was his own pulse, pounding loud but much too slowly, in his ears. 

The way Revali eventually shifted from their silent conversation was too gradual to be anything but intentional. It started with a talon twitching, similar small movements following, leading to his eyes closing. Link mimicked the action and found a small measure of relief in the darkness behind his eyelids. A breeze blew through the open cabin door, and an unnamed _something_ filled the room.

“Zora’s Domain,” Revali whispered, as if the silence between them was a sacred thing. “Is that still where we’re going?”

Link tried to speak, then he tried to sign. Words wouldn’t come to him in either language, so he nodded. Something in his expression must have given his thoughts away, though. 

“Of course I don’t mind,” Revali said, a little louder now. “I mean, I… Came here to help you. To find you,” he swallowed audibly. “Wherever you go, I will follow for as long as you’ll have me.” 

* * *

“Link, my friend!” Sidon grinned as the blue light faded from him and Revali. “I’m filled with joy upon seeing your face!” he grabbed the Hylian in a tight hug. Link tried to return the gesture but even his hardest squeeze was weak. Sidon must have noticed it because he put the boy down, looking at him with a scrutinizing eye. “Oh my,” he muttered, “we _must_ get you to Mipha right away. Do you think you can walk?”  
  
Link eyed the spiraling staircases of Zora’s Domain and worried his bottom lip between his teeth. He could _probably_ make it at least part of the way - after all, he’d walked to Hopper Pond mostly unsupported just yesterday - but a fall would be dangerous. On the other hand, he didn’t want to frighten anyone they might pass on their way. Although now that he really thought about it - it was more than a fear of being a burden that had driven him away. He didn’t want to be _seen_. Being in public after a month of self-imposed isolation… When he looked like _this_ \- thank the Goddesses that Revali had washed his hair and helped him clean up - was not exactly a welcoming prospect.  
  
“Perhaps Mipha could come down here?” Revali said, placing a hand on Link’s back. “Or is there a more discreet way of getting to her? A crowded reception isn’t exactly what we had in mind when leaving the Great Plateau.”  
  
Link glanced at him, surprised, before signing. _“What he said. As for walking, I think...”_ he blushed, the gentle weight of the hand on his back suddenly feeling different, _“I think if both of you support me, I can make it. I refuse to be carried, but I can’t walk all that way by myself.”_

“All right,” Sidon walked to his other side. Once Link’s arms were secure around the both of them - quite a feat, given the incredible height difference Sidon and the other two - they walked out of the shrine and behind the stairwells to a secret hallway. It was a long while before he spoke again. “This walk is a bit longer than the public staircases, but there are more spots to rest, and near the end there’s a direct walkway to the royal family healing chambers. I am more than certain Father will not mind me allowing you access, Link.”  
  
“Thank you,” Link said softly. He smiled up at the Zora prince. “I mean it. Thank you both,” his eyes darted toward a bench, which the three of them sat on. He kept his arms wrapped around his friends. “You know, Sidon, I meant to tell you last time that the Domain is beautiful. I was just a bit…” his grin was almost feral, “... _Shocked_.”  
  
Sidon’s peals of laughter bounced off the walls. “How many shock arrows did you even _have_ in that slate?”

He flushed. “One hundred seventy-two.”  
  
“You needed _twenty_ , Link! **_Twenty_**!”  
  
Revali smirked; it seemed that some things about Link had stayed with him all this time.

“Okay, so when I came here to free Vah Ruta, I needed shock arrows. I, uh, may have beaten down the Lynel on Ploymus Mountain and then bought out Gerudo Town’s shock arrows several times over. My aim on Sidon’s back was… Not the greatest. I had to switch between the Sheikah Slate and shooting the arrows.”  
  
“I for one think you did an excellent job! It was magnificent, watching you ride up those waterfalls and ride the wind on your glider.”  
  
“ _Shockingly_ enough, I didn’t die. And now we’re here.”  
  
Revali chuckled quietly at that. "Indeed. Here - have some mushroom skewers.”  
  
Eventually, the quiet that came as they ate was broken by Mipha’s footsteps. “Sidon! There you are, I - _Link_!” she grinned with her teeth. “I’ve missed you!” she hugged him, hands subtly checking for injuries on his back.  
  
Sorrow flashed in Mipha’s eyes as she looked Link over. “That’s why you came this way instead of going up… You need a session right away. I’m guessing Revali and Sidon have been supporting you?”  
  
Link nodded, brows furrowed in frustration. What the _heck_? He was just talking a few minutes ago!  
  
“Based on the small check I just did, you really need to be in a bed for healing. Let’s go to the family healing rooms.”

* * *

  
“Out, out, both of you,” Mipha gently poked Sidon and Revali with her signature spear. “This is going to be an intensive healing session, and Link needs absolute calm!”  
  
“But - "  
  
“If Sidon’s laughter is anything to go by, you two being here will make it take longer because you’re all silly! No _buts_. I’ll come find you when he’s done; there’s a lounge where you can wait, given that it’s storming outside. Shoo!” Once Sidon and Revali were out of sight, Mipha drew the curtain closed and turned back to her friend. “It’s good to see you, my friend.”  
  
 _“It’s wonderful to see you,”_ he signed. _“Sorry I’m mute again, I don’t… Understand why this happens.”_

“That’s quite all right. You’ll need to take off your tunic though, I can’t heal your injuries if there’s too much interference.”  
  
Link did as asked, and the Zora princess gasped. It was worse than it looked - and that was saying something. He wouldn’t look at her as she circled him, evaluating his injuries with a keen medical eye. Part of the Zora healing magic was increased empathy, and it was only through her years of training that she was able to fight back the shame that wasn’t her own as she began mending his injuries. Aware of her hyper-empathy, Link really did try to reign in the heavy feelings and horrible thoughts that suddenly plagued him. The more her healing magic seeped into him, though, the harder it was to fight back. Every mistake, every regret, the self-loathing engraved on his heart. How he’d torn apart the Great Plateau during his isolation… It was all _so much_. How was he supposed to keep fighting when his enemy now was his own mind? How was he supposed to live if his mind was convincing him he deserved to die?

“You’re here. I’m here. We’re all okay. _Breathe_ , Link,” Mipha said, her hands on his face suddenly. “Look at me and breathe.”  
  
His eyes were open, but he couldn’t see through them for his tears. He reached out blindly and held Mipha almost painfully when she pulled him to her. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I couldn't...”  
  
“Shh,” Mipha rubbed his hair. “I’m glad you’re getting all of this out. Holding on to this darkness would negate what I’m doing. I won’t be able to fix everything, but I can give you the best possible start for healing. Let it out. Hylia knows I’ve cried a dozen times over with Sidon and Zelda. And Father, of course. I think all of us Champions have carried some of this weight.”  
  
“Zelda?” Link whispered with a smile. “Did you finally confess?”  
  
“Yes,” she said in the same low volume. “We’re very happy together, although Father is still confused about why I made _you_ engagement armor all those years ago. But don’t change the subject, you selfless person.”  
  
Link giggled, knowing the real reason for his Zora armor, then sighed as he laid his forehead on Mipha’s shoulder. He fell asleep as she mended the injuries on his back and sides; he was as silent in slumber as he had been with the weight of the Master Sword upon his back. Mipha laid him down on the bed gently and adjusted the window drapes before heading to the lounge. 

A while later, Revali opened the drapes to where Link slept, letting his eyes adjust to the dimness. Link was lying on one side with a blanket thrown over him and one arm out of it. It was that arm Revali looked at as he walked in and stood to the side of the bed. A horrified dread settled in his stomach. Link was absolutely _covered_ with battle scars. There were little ones along his hand and wrist, where he’d been nicked while feeling out different weapons and then there were deeper, harsher ones leading up to what had to be a scar from a Guardian on his shoulder. A few of them - more recent, by how red and textured they were - even looked like _Lynel claw marks_. Remembering what he’d said about Ploymus Mountain, Revali quietly shuddered at the thought of Link taking down one of those beasts on his own. Looking at the scars again, he was surprised he hadn’t noticed them when washing Link’s hair. He supposed he'd been so appalled by Link’s emaciated state that he’d failed to pay attention to much else. The Hylian rolled over, more scars showing.  
  
Revali considered his feelings for Link as he watched him sleep. A century ago, they’d had an… Interestingly tense, albeit antagonistic, relationship. Honestly though, he’d just wanted the boy to _like_ him. Acknowledge him - just _once_. He knew this wasn’t typical for a rivalry. Back then he’d ignored it, not wanting to face what that longing meant. Being dead for a hundred years had certainly changed things. During Link’s fight with Windblight Ganon, and when Link called upon his Gale afterward, Revali found that he wasn’t the distant knight he’d known before. Link _felt_ things, and did so deeply - especially pain. Holding Link as he’d cried had made that clear. Goddesses above, he’d carried the Master Sword - and all that came with it - for far too long. Almost as if it was second nature, Revali moved closer to him and sat with his back against the wall, waiting.

Link blinked his eyes open, heart racing when he saw the Rito sitting beside him. “Hey,” he muttered, sitting up. “What’re you doing here?”  
  
With a half-shrug and a flash of emotion in his eyes, Revali moved back into the silent communication they’d somehow developed so quickly. Eventually, green eyes flickered down to Link’s chest for a second, and he raised a brow.

Link flushed and pulled the blanket around him - embarrassed. Guilty, perhaps. " _T_ _he first time. I don’t remember very much. Even with the stupid Sword, I failed.”_

Revali put a hand on Link’s face, guiding it so he could look at those blue eyes. “You may have fallen, but you _did not_ fail. As far as I understand it, you fulfilled your duty to the bitter end… Then you fulfilled it _again_ , one hundred years later, with no memory to speak of and only ghosts to guide you, at least at the start.”  
  
A knock on the doorframe saved Link from having to respond. How on earth was he supposed to stay dignified, responding to such an emotional declaration? Revali moved his hand away, folding his arms, and said, “Come in.”  
  
Mipha smiled. “Oh good, you’re awake. I wanted to let you know, you’re both welcome to stay here as long as you’d like. It will take a few more healing sessions to get you in decent shape so you can address everything happening in your mind; I had to heal Urbosa and Daruk as well, actually, before they could take their place in Gerudo and Goron society. We’re actually about to have our evening meal, if you’d like to join us.”  
  
 _“Sounds good to me. I’m starving.”_

Dinner was a lovely - if a bit rambunctious - affair. King Dorephan was honored to have two other Champions dining with him; he regaled them with stories of his own mischief as a young prince, and tales of rebuilding the Domain after Vah Ruta was freed and Mipha was resurrected. She grinned at Link with her teeth, truly overjoyed to see him. He beamed at her likewise, and ended up joining in the conversation with his voice. 

After the food was mostly gone and conversation was dying out. Mipha and Sidon said goodnight to their father, with the former moving around the table to help support Link. He shook his head. “I think I can do it if I walk slowly.”

So slowly they walked, chatting quietly amongst themselves as they headed to the various sleeping quarters in the Domain. It was nice, Link thought, to be able to talk about such _easy_ things with people he loved. And he _did_ love them - Mipha was his very first and dearest friend; Sidon was like a brother to him; Revali… Was something else entirely. At the very least, the Rito was someone he _connected_ with, in a way that he’d never experienced with anyone else. Being so recently out of isolation, and so new to addressing the weight he carried… He didn’t quite want to name his relationship with Revali at all. It was too new, too fragile; yet it felt familiar, like he was seeing _home_ for the first time in his life.  
  
It had only been _a day_ since Revali had found him.  
  
What on _earth_ was he thinking?  
  


* * *

  
Their ‘room’ was _massive_ ; it had a large common area, a bedroom, a cookpot with a counter for placing ingredients beside it, a toilet, and the _biggest_ bathing tub Link had ever seen in his _life_. It was a clawed beast, in its own room within the bedroom; above it was a shelf lined with soaps and oils of all kinds. “Wow,” he gasped. “This has more footage than my _entire house_!”

Sidon grinned as he and Mipha headed out. “The tub also generates hot water! It’s some kind of technology that uses the heat from specific places in the Domain’s waters! It is much too hot for most Zora to handle - my dear sister here being an exception, with her experience using Goron hot springs - but Zelda helped us figure out how to take advantage of it for our guests that appreciate having the option!”

“Thank you,” Revali said, giving the prince and princess a customary bow of appreciation. “We’ll see you tomorrow, then?”  
  
“Yes - would you like a healing session too, Revali? You’re the only one I haven’t looked at yet.” Mipha tilted her head. Link had stopped gawking at the place and looked at the Rito with no small measure of encouragement. 

Revali rolled his shoulders. “I’ll consider it.”  
  
Mipha smiled. “Wonderful! We will see you both tomorrow; don’t feel obligated to rise early or follow Zora customs. You’re our guests; if anything, it’s expected for you to relax and let yourselves rest. Good night!”  
  
“Good night, Mipha. Thanks,” Link said with a wave.  
  
Once the curtains were closed, the Rito and the Hylian sighed, bodies sagging into the large couch with unbidden relief. _“You too?”_ Link signed, head tilted upward against the back of the couch.  
  
“Mm. This was a _much_ longer day than I’d anticipated, even with traveling by Sheikah Slate. Don’t apologize - you _needed_ this.”

Link chuckled; he had raised his hands to do that very thing. His eyes kept wandering toward the bathroom, but he was so _fatigued_. It had, overall, been an extremely good day but it had exhausted him. Maybe he’d use the tub tomorrow; between the warmth radiating off Revali and the absolute comfort of the plush couch, he was starting to doze.  
  
Revali tsked fondly and stood up, stretching his wings. “I’m going to run you a bath; by the time you’re ready to move again the water should be good for you. Any particular soap or oil you want to use?”  
  
 _“Bubbles,”_ Link signed, mumbling tiredly. _“I want bubbles. Don’t care what kind.”_ Something about the dull roar of the water running and the clink of various bottles being moved around made him smile as he closed his eyes.  
  
“Your bath’s ready,” Revali said, gently rubbing Link’s arm. “Do you need help or can you manage it?”  
  
Link yawned as he stood up. “I’ve got it, but thank you.” It was only a few minutes before genuine laughter came from the bathroom. He was _overjoyed_ to have such a nice bath, going by the comments Revali was able to catch from where he sat.  
  
For the umpteenth time that day, Revali thanked the Goddesses that he’d found Link before it was too late. The month he’d spent searching _everywhere_ for the Hylian had been a grueling one. Yet, even though he’d been absolutely _terrified_ when Link had fallen against him, emaciated and exhausted, it was all worth it. Every bit of worry he’d held in his heart when they’d found that note had led to this moment. Revali quickly swiped at his eyes; his feelings for Link had grown exponentially during the last month, and especially yesterday - he wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself. The arrogant front he’d become known for shattered like glass when it came to this new, post-Calamity Link.  
  
He only came out of his thoughts when Link emerged from the bathroom in an old shirt and trousers with mostly dry hair. “You okay?”  
  
“Just tired, but thank you for asking.”  
  
They walked into the bedroom, and - like everything else - it was extravagant in its size and make. Revali hung his Champion’s scarf on a small hook by the bed, took off his armor, and sat on the bed. Link finished drying his hair and placed the Sheikah Slate on a table before joining him. Their eyes met once again, and in that moment they shared something abstract - undefinable - and the comfort they found in each other became palpable as they lied down. Link sighed happily into Revali’s chest and wrapped an arm around his waist. Revali held him a little more tightly, the ghost of a smile upturning his beak. He was more sure now than he’d been yesterday - he _loved_ this boy, although saying it aloud was far from his mind.  
  
In the haze of sleepy contentment, Link was suddenly aware he had a _long_ way to go before he’d be ready to name their relationship. Facing the traumatic weight he carried would take time, and Revali deserved nothing less than his best possible start. Defeating the Calamity had given everyone a second chance - to live, to make amends, to bridge the gaps previously uncrossable. Gratitude that he’d been found flooded his veins, and Revali was there, thumbing away the tears that came as if it was the most natural thing in the world. 

Perhaps they didn’t need words after all.


End file.
